Celebrate Day-Drinking Season at Nashville's Best Rooftop Bars

Nashville has seen monumental growth over the past few years. Case in point: the addition of the Music City Center (which spans several blocks), countless new high-rises (because Nashville apparently needed more unaffordable housing), and even the new Ascend Amphitheater. With all the changes to Nashville's already beautiful skyline, we think it’s time you get yourself up to a rooftop bar to enjoy it. We scoped out the city for the best rooftop spots to enjoy a nice cold drink with a beautiful view and, in most cases, a bit of live music. These are our seven favorites:

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Downtown

We love everything about Acme Feed & Seed, from the great food to the live music. But it gets even better when the weather is nice enough for lounging on the patio. Right next to the water, Acme’s rooftop patio overlooks both the Cumberland River and a large portion of Downtown. Their schedule often includes “Way Up Dance Parties” with DJs playing music right on the rooftop. Check their schedule to see who they’ve got going up.

Downtown

We know, we know. Tootsies is the tourist capital of Nashville. BUT it does have a pretty amazing rooftop. We suggest this spot for the occasion when you’ve got friends in from out of town and you want to give them a strong dose of Nashville honky tonk. The rooftop provides a great view of Lower Broadway and all of the special characters that walk down it. This is yet another great spot for live music, especially since Tootsies has several different stages with bands playing on each stage throughout the whole day.

The Gulch

Relatively new to the scene in Nashville, UP's rooftop lounge provides an amazing view of the skyline and a slightly more classy environment. This lounge serves uniquely crafted cocktails and shareable plates that are suitable for a meal if you’re really hungry. It’s perfect for a date or a night out with friends. We recommend that you make a visit to this rooftop lounge a few times this summer.

Downtown

Located right on Lower Broadway, Pub5 is another great spot for people-watching. It’s also a great stop before or after an event at Bridgestone. Directly across from the arena, the rooftop patio overlooks much of Downtown and Lower Broad. And if you go during lunch hours, don’t forget to take advantage of the free valet parking. When you do go, opt for the tacos, which include varieties such as lamb, salmon, and tempeh.

Midtown

If you’re looking for a rooftop spot that’s suitable for the whole family, Soulshine Pizza Factory can’t be beat. Enjoy the nice weather, a view of the city, and a big stone-baked pizza to share with family and friends. Soulshine’s rooftop also frequently features live local musicians.

Downtown

Believe it. There’s an awesome rooftop bar above the George Jones Museum and it’s definitely worth a visit. Referred to as “The George” and located by the river (and right in the heart of Downtown), this rooftop spot provides a scenic view of Nashville, the Cumberland River, and Nissan Stadium. And, as should be expected by now, you can often catch live music playing up there.

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The Gulch

Virago’s outdoor space has a formal dining vibe with artistically served cuisine and some rather fancy cocktails, and is perfect for a filling meal -- especially on Monday’s, when its sushi is half-off and cocktails and sake are two-for-one. Sushi with a view… or should we say... viewshi? No, probably not, actually.

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Brita Britnell is a Nashville native food photographer and writer who loves a good Nashville beer, especially while overlooking the Nashville skyline. Follow her @bbritnell.

The Best Bars in Nashville Right Now

Narrowing down Nashville’s best bars is no simple task. Much like watching the show Nashville and deciding if you like Connie Britton or Hayden Panettiere more, is there even a right answer? For the former, yes. Yes, there is. We went out and painstakingly drank our way around Nashville in order to bring you the best bars no matter the occasion. From dive bars loaded with character to speakeasies pouring impeccable craft cocktails, here are all the best places to drink in Nashville right now.

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